The Break Up
by Amaranth O'Riley
Summary: Lily Evans and James Potter have been dating for two wonderful years. But when they start to get on each other's nerves, they figure that it's best they take some time off. [Loosely based on 'The Break Up']


**The Break-Up**

"I'm telling you Marlene, I'm just completely fed up. Every time I so much as talk to another male, he flips out. He's just so damn possessive, I need space, y'know?"

Nineteen-year-old Lily Evans sighed and twirled a strand of bright red hair around her middle finger. She rested her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands.

"I really thought he was 'the one', too. We've dated for nearly two years, and they've been wonderful, they really have. It's just that...I dunno, all of a sudden, all his little faults are coming back to me, and everything seems to be pissing me off lately. Like the fact that he's never in time for _anything_, or that his friends always seem to be hanging around, or how he's just so damned _lazy_."

Marlene McKinnon took a large sip of her frappaccino and blinked.

"Well Lils, it _has_ been two years, like you said. Maybe you guys just need some space. I mean, since the day you two started dating, you've been attached at the hip. Maybe you should just take a vacation, like a break, you know?"

Lily sighed again and stirred her coffee absentmindedly.

"I dunno," she said finally, "I mean, I really do like him, and suggesting we 'take a break' might give him the wrong idea..."

"So just take a vacation! Say you're going to visit some relatives in Italy or something!"

"But I don't have any relatives in Italy!"

"Does James know that?"

Lily shrugged.

"Exactly!"

Marlene's grin faded. "Black alert," she muttered under her breath.

Lily groaned as Sirius Black strutted up to their table and rested his elbow on Lily's head.

"Hey, ladies," he said casually, "How're you two beautiful girls feeling today?"

"Why're you here, Black?" Marlene asked sharply.

Sirius faked a hurt look and put a hand over his heart.

"You're words hurt, McKinnon. I was only here to tell dear Lily that her boyfriend is being forced to work overtime, and can't make it to dinner. But, y'know, if you want me to leave..."

Lily slammed her head against the table, spilling her coffee all over her white blouse.

"You'll lose brain cells that way, Evans. Toodles!"

Once Sirius was out of earshot, Lily glared at the stain on her blouse.

"You see?" She said angrily, "He doesn't even have the balls to tell me himself!"

Marlene tsk'd.

"Sorry, Lils. He's a guy, that's how they work."

"Yeah, well I wish they could learn to work differently."

-.-

James Potter shuffled through a stack of papers on his desk and straightened his glasses.

"Alright, so you know what we have to do, right?" Alastor Moody paced in front of James's desk, glancing around the office as if expecting Voldemort to jump out from behind a wastebasket.

James rolled his eyes, "You've only gone over the plan a dozen times, Moody."

He was rewarded by a sharp knock on the top of his head.

"Potter, this is serious business!" Moody yelled, glaring daggers at the younger man, "We cannot afford to fail again!"

James took on a serious expression, "I get it, Alastor, I swear. I understand what's going to happen if we fail, trust me."

Moody nodded once and made his exit. James shuffled through his papers again and glanced through one in particular. He scribbled something on a piece of paper, folded it up, whispered a spell, and let it go. The paper soared around the room a few times before flying out the door. Seconds later, Sirius bounded through the door.

"You called?"

"We're on in fifteen."

Sirius grinned widely. "You mean they're actually sending us? I thought they only accepted the ones who've actually completed training."

"Yeah, well they're running out of Aurors now, aren't they? Besides, we can handle ourselves. We _were_ Marauders, after all."

"_Are_, mate. We _are_ Marauders."

"We're not kids anymore, Sirius. School's over," James stood and patted his friend on the back. "Time to grow up."

-.-

"James just needs to grow up, I'm sick of cleaning up after him!" Lily grabbed a handful of men's clothes and tossed them into James's closet.

"He lives clothes everywhere, he never does a dish, and if I didn't learn all these cleaning spells, the place would be a complete mess!"

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Lils, it's not his fault. James grew up in an extremely rich pure-blood home; he had house-elves to do all the work for him. He never learned how to clean. Just talk to him about it. I'm sure he'll be fine doing a little work around here."

Lily shrugged. "We'll see."

-.-

**A/N: **Just so you know, the title may possibly change...eventually. Yes, this is based on the movie "The Break Up", but very loosely. Anyway...review?


End file.
